About this tool
Photos and downloaded images usually arrive as JPG, but a game engine or mod loader needs a DDS texture. Since JPG has no transparency, the Auto setting writes compact DXT1 with mipmaps, which is what most diffuse textures use; switch to uncompressed if the game requires it or you want zero extra compression loss.
About the formats: JPG (JPEG) is a lossy format built for photographs. It compresses aggressively, produces small files, and opens on every device ever made, but it cannot store transparency and each re-save costs a little quality. DDS (DirectDraw Surface) is the texture format game engines and modding tools use: Skyrim, Fallout, GTA, Unity, Unreal, and countless others. It stores GPU-ready, block-compressed pixels (DXT1/DXT5/BC7) together with a mipmap chain, which is exactly why ordinary image viewers and editors cannot open it without a plugin.
How to use it
- Drop your JPG files into the box above, or click to browse. Nothing is uploaded.
- Adjust the options if you want; the defaults suit most files.
- Click Convert to DDS and wait a moment.
- Download the results individually or all at once as a ZIP.
Questions
Will converting JPG to DDS lose quality?
DXT compression is lossy, so a little, on top of what the JPG already lost. For maximum fidelity choose the uncompressed 32-bit format, at the cost of a much larger file.
DXT1 or DXT5?
DXT1 has no real alpha channel and is half the size; use it for opaque diffuse textures. DXT5 keeps smooth transparency for decals, UI, foliage, and anything with an alpha mask. The Auto setting checks the image and picks for you.
Should I generate mipmaps?
Yes for anything rendered in a 3D scene: mipmaps stop distant textures from shimmering, and most engines expect them. Turn them off for UI sprites and textures shown at a fixed size.
Do textures need power-of-two sizes?
Many older engines require 256, 512, 1024, or 2048 pixel dimensions. This tool keeps your image size; use the Resize Image tool first if the game needs a power of two.
Can it write BC7?
Not yet. DXT1 and DXT5 are accepted by every engine and modding tool; BC7 output is planned.
Is it free, are files uploaded, which browsers work: the general questions are answered once for the whole site.